


Almond Milk & Artichokes

by i_zu_mo



Series: Banana Fish Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Arthur is a fucking loser, Eiji is lactose-intolerant, M/M, Shorter is the ultimate wingman, T rating is just for language, what a gross sounding title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 06:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15925175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_zu_mo/pseuds/i_zu_mo
Summary: Things get tense at the Asian supermarket.One of Ash's fingers twitches in irritation, and there's no amusement in his tone. “Arthur, you absolute fucking artichoke,” he says lowly.





	Almond Milk & Artichokes

**Author's Note:**

> I have a bunch of tumblr prompt fics I've decided to throw together here. This one was about the gang running into Arthur while grocery shopping. I hope someone gets... something out of this!
> 
> Please don't take this too seriously oh god

Eiji takes small steps down the brightly-lit aisles of the Asian supermarket, curious eyes trying to pick out the Japanese packaging sprinkled among everything else. His arm brushes Ash’s as they walk; he’s helping him push a rickety shopping cart with a crooked wheel that keeps veering into his foot. His friend is tenser than usual, obviously not happy to be out and about in broad daylight with everything that had been going on lately. Eiji can’t rightly blame him. He presses his shoulder into Ash’s bicep, tries to convey his feelings through that touch. I’m here, Ash.

Ash’s muscles loosen marginally from their spring-loaded readiness and the corners of his lips pull into a tiny, tight smile. It’s not much, but it’s something. It’s a difference.

Being close to Ash, giving him warmth and support, it’s all Eiji can do for him right now. More than anything, anything, he wants to keep Ash safe. He would give up a thousand lifetimes for it.

Their feet shuffle along the dingy white tile floor, and from time to time they have to dodge out of the way of a flustered employee rushing past. It’s chaotic and Eiji doesn’t miss the way Ash’s eyes keep tabs on every single person who comes into his peripheral, assessing them, marking off some kind of mental checklist.

Eiji moves his hand, slides it over to gently bump against Ash’s on the cart handle to get his attention. Ash looks down at his hand and then at him, and Eiji smiles, tries to tell him with his eyes that everything is okay. It’s his attempt at silent communication again. _You are safe, I am safe. We are just grocery shopping. Nothing bad is going to happen._

For just a moment, the storm in Ash’s eyes seems to calm.

The deep metallic cling and accompanying vibration of someone dumping cans and other things into the cart makes them both tear their eyes away from each other. Shorter is standing at the end of the cart, hands in his pockets, whistling like he didn’t just walk in on them gazing into each other’s souls.

Shorter’s sunglasses slip down his nose enough for Eiji to see his eyes flash to him, and it might just be his imagination, but there’s something mischievous in the curve of his lips and the little glimmer in his eyes, something that says he knows something Eiji doesn’t.

Ash straightens and looks over the deposit and nods. “What are we missing?”

“We need milk,” Shorter says, pushing up his sunglasses, hiding his eyes again. “I’ll go grab it, just had to drop this stuff off first.”

He turns to run off again, and Ash calls after him. “Lactose-free! Eiji’s lactose-intolerant!”

“Got it!” Shorter yells back with a laugh.

Heat crawls up Eiji’s ears and he gently pulls on Ash’s arm. “Ah, you don’t have to, it’s okay…” He wants to apologize for being an inconvenience again, but he holds his tongue.

Ash meets his eyes and quickly looks away, but Eiji catches a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks that wasn’t there before. “Stop it. It’s not a big deal. Besides, I don’t want you hogging the bathroom because you had milk with your cereal.”

Eiji turns his head away to hide his embarrassed smile.

The two of them peruse the aisles together, Eiji occasionally stopping to explain how something is used in Japaneses cuisine before Ash grabs it and chucks it into the cart. They tease each other about stupid little things, stealing glances at one another and smiling when they think no one is looking.

Eiji can’t help but feel like it shouldn’t take this long to get milk, but… he doesn’t really mind.

The cart halts suddenly, which sends Eiji bumping into it. He looks over, about to ask what’s wrong, but the alarm in Ash’s eyes has him looking in the same direction. He sucks in a sharp breath.

Arthur is standing a few feet away from them with a shopping basket and a scowl, and Ash’s hand immediately flies to where his gun is hidden inside the sweatshirt tied around his waist. Arthur reaches for something, too.

“Ash, wait!” Eiji cries out, reaching for Ash’s arm and gripping it gently but firmly. Arthur’s arm freezes too. The two blonds glare at each other, bodies frozen but hearts boiling with anger, and it’s only when Shorter comes bounding back with a gallon of almond milk tucked under his arm that they both break out of their stalemate.

“Uh, Ash, what are you— oh shit!”

Arthur looks like his grip on the basket handle is going to break it.

“Of all the places to run into you,” he drawls, eyes narrowing, regarding them with a kind of disgust that makes Eiji’s insides squirm.

Ash is still. He’s impulsive, but he’s smart. Eiji knows that he knows there’s no way they can start a fight in the middle of a cramped, crowded shopping area. By the frustration on Arthur’s face, he’s realized it too. “What are you even doing here?” Ash demands.

“I like Thai food,” Arthur says, not one ounce of him joking. A thick, awkward silence drapes over them like a wool blanket.

One of Ash's fingers twitches in irritation, and there's no amusement in his tone. “Arthur, you absolute fucking artichoke,” he says lowly. Eiji hears a snort from Shorter. Artichoke? _Aa-ti-cho-ku_ …? Like the vegetable? Why–?

Arthur is squinting at Ash now with nothing short of absolute hatred in his eyes.

“What did you just call me?”

Shorter looks at Ash with raised eyebrows, and Eiji feels something tighten in his throat as he draws up his courage and cuts in, trying to make his face as serious as he can. “Ah, uh… Let’s just go our separate ways,” he says slowly, looking from one man to the other. “We will make this a, um…” He desperately searches for the right words, they’re right on the tip of his tongue–

“A neutral zone,” Ash finishes mercifully. With measured movement, he lets his hand hang back at his side, and Arthur reluctantly copies him.

The demilitarized zone of the Asian supermarket. Hallowed ground.

Eiji lowers his voice and sort of nods toward a little old woman watching them with dark, beady eyes. She stares them down and suddenly Eiji feels very, very small. Between her and Arthur, he’s not sure who unsettles him more. “It’s the only way.”

Arthur’s face screws up, like he’s considering it, and then he looks down at the full basket in his hand. His mind is calculating, Eiji knows, weighing whether he cares more about trying to kill Ash or whatever he’s trying to take home for dinner. If it’s a ruse, it’s a pretty convincing one. “Fine,” he grunts, less than enthused. Eiji clears his throat and presses against Ash’s side.

“Fine,” Ash repeats. Shorter stands towering on Eiji’s other side, somehow managing to look intimidating with a carton of milk cradled in his arm.

They split off, Ash’s eyes not leaving Arthur until he’s well out of sight, and Eiji puts a gentle hand on the middle of his back to let him know that everything is okay. Ash looks at him helplessly, and Eiji would find it cute if it were in any other situation.

“I don’t think there is anything weird going on,” Eiji says softly. “Well, anything weirder than seeing Arthur out buying groceries.”

“Yeah,” Ash exhales. “He seemed pretty shocked to see us. Still, I don’t trust the bastard. Let’s just pay and get the hell out of here.”

“Uh, Ash?” Eiji says as he and Shorter follow Ash through the store and to the checkout area. “Why did you call him an artichoke?”

Ash is silent for a few heartbeats, face scrunching up. “He just… looks like one.”

“I don’t look like an artichoke!” comes Arthur’s booming voice, and Eiji whirls around and sees him standing a few feet away from them, and now he’s holding his own carton of milk. Like seeing theirs inspired something in him.

Ash flips him off and they turn away, Ash and Shorter curving back behind Eiji to form a wall between him and Arthur, quickly pay, and rush outside and down an alley with their bags.

**Author's Note:**

> Come send me asheiji/ashoreiji/ashorter/shoreiji prompts @ i-zu-mo.tumblr.com!


End file.
